Justices A.A Bello and Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court in Kaduna have convicted and sentenced five internet fraudsters to different terms of imprisonment.
The convicts: Vincent Solomon, Godwin Uchechukwu, Miracle Festus, Chibueze Michael Joseph and Danjuma Samuel Enoch, were jailed on Monday, September 26, after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge, bordering on internet fraud, upon their arraignment by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The one count charge reads: “That you, Vincent Solomon, ‘M’ sometimes in July, 2022, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did attempt to commit an illegal act by using Austin Sparky Renforth of United States of America Infantry Marine, a false identity on Instagram account with the intention of defrauding unsuspecting persons and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 57 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law”.
The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges, when they were read to each of them separately.
Upon their guilty pleas, the prosecution EFCC lawyer, P.C Onyeneho, E.K Garba and M. Lawal, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
But the defence lawyers: Emmanuel Nwokenekwu, Nazif Shehu, Chinedu Gwam, Mahe Sani and I.S. Yahaya urged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that defendants are now remorseful.
Justice Bello thereafter convicted and sentenced Solomon to three months imprisonment or a fine of N150,000. The judge also directed that Solomon should forfeit the Iphone XR he used to commit the offence to the government.
Festus was convicted and sentenced to three months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N100,000 while the judge directed him to forfeit an Iphone 6s used to commit the offence to the Federal Government.
Justice Bello also convicted and sentenced Uchechukwu to three months imprisonment or an option of fine of N150,000.
Both Joseph and Enoch were convicted and sentenced by Justice Khobo. They both got six months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N150,000 each. They also forfeited phones used in committing their crimes to the government.
The convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre, when operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC arrested them at various locations in Kaduna State, for internet- related offences. They were subsequently prosecuted and convicted accordingly.
